Lake Street Dive at Red Rocks

Lake Street Dive opened for Grace Potter at Red Rocks last night, and the
excellent music was more than sufficient to make up for the cold rain (which, in
my shorts and sandals, I was very poorly prepared for). Although Grace Potter
was the headliner, I found this concert because I’ve been wanting to see Lake
Street Dive, having first heard them on YouTube, covering “I Want You Back” on a
Boston sidewalk.

They mostly played songs from their new album, Side Pony, which I was unfamiliar
with. My favorite of these songs was the title track, which is about being your
own weird self: “Baby I’m just living my life, ‘cause I rock a side pony.” They
rocked out more as the set progressed, before pulling back to circle around a
single mic at the center of the stage to sing a quieter song. (I don’t remember
which song—maybe “Just Ask”?) They also covered “Lola” by The Kinks. I was
glad they threw in some old favorites towards the end, especially “You Go Down
Smooth.”

Their sound really shines on the more laid back tunes that feature a strong
groove. They are experts of the supremely satisfying downbeat—that moment
in the chorus that you feel coming a few seconds in advance, as the music leans
into it, and arrives like making perfect, square contact with a baseball pitch.
Throw in great vocal harmonies, and it’s music that compels me to sing along.

Although Rachel Price’s warm, powerful, alto is clearly the centerpiece of this
quartet, all four musicians bring uncommon talent to the group. They all excel
on their instruments and contribute backing vocals in tight jazz chords. Bridget
Kearney, on bass, plays great fills and often sounds like two bassists.

Despite the cold weather, it was a great evening of beautiful music. It was
great to see Lake Street Dive perform live, and I’ll keep my eye out for their
return.